Every student lives a different story in high school. From the theater kid performing to a cheering crowd, to the football jock celebrating with teammates, every student is different. There’s the straight-A student furiously studying for a test and the band kid making music with classmates. No matter what path is taken in high school, everyone shares the milestones and transitions that define our lives from freshman year all the way to senior year.
That first step into high school gives a sense of a fresh start, allowing every student to reinvent themselves. Freshmen are encouraged to explore new interests, try things they have never done before or expand their current talents. With new classes comes new people and new subjects.
“In a lot of my classes, there are a lot of interesting people since it’s such a big school,” Maggie Henson (9) said. “A lot of people come from different states, countries and schools, so it’s really cool to learn about their stories and where they came from and who they are. Where I went, it was small and everybody already knew each other, so it was tight-knit, and there wasn’t much room for meeting new people. It’s really cool to branch out and stuff.”
Although the opportunities of having new classes have benefits, the academic jump in curriculum from middle school to high school can be overwhelming. The time management and organization required to adjust to a heavier workload can create struggles for a student, forcing them to adapt to a new level of independence in learning.
“A subject I felt overwhelmed with so far has to be geometry, but all of them are tough,” Alexandra Gal (9) said. “There are a lot more tests and I constantly have homework which takes me hours. I’m mainly struggling in geometry because the format of the class is different than last year.” Core subjects like geometry can demand a more significant adjustment to study habits and time management.
While freshmen navigate the uncertainty of a new environment, seniors face a different set of pressures as they prepare to leave it. While the final year of high school is often looked forward to by most, the transition of being a senior carries its own pressures and struggles. Senior year is marked by college and scholarship applications, post-graduation plans and the emotional issues of leaving high school life behind.
“The pressure I feel the most right now is the SAT. My grade isn’t that good, and it’s tricky, especially the reading and writing parts. But also, extracurriculars are pretty hard, like JROTC,” Juliette Selman (12) said. “There’s so much work that comes with it, especially being in a high leadership position as a senior and trying not to have senioritis take a toll on you. It’s a lot of work, but it makes you realize freshman year me would be so proud that I’m doing all this work and excelling in this thing that I started a few years ago.”
The academic load itself can be a struggle as coursework becomes more rigorous in senior year. Many seniors also battle with “senioritis,” a not-so-imaginary affliction where seniors find it difficult to stay motivated in school when already accepted into college. When extracurricular activities and leadership roles are added to the mix, it only makes it more difficult for seniors.
Between these battles with senioritis and SAT prep, seniors stand at the brink of a new age for themselves. They are faced with endless possibilities of where to attend college, what field they want to pursue or any other path their life may take them down. With this shift comes mixed feelings. On one hand, seniors feel the weight of the responsibility that comes with this new chapter in their lives. On the other hand, there is hope for expanding the horizons of their future.
“I’m mostly happy. I’m very excited because I know there are bigger and better things,” Izzy Pasagian (12) said. “It’s kind of this point in your life where you feel like you have all this ambition and potential, but it’s also kind of nerve-wracking because you’re not being influenced by adults nearly as much anymore.”
As seniors are following separate paths, many face the idea of leaving their friends and community. For some, it is the first time they will be able to leave home and forge a new identity and community. For others, it is a chance to follow the passions they have discovered in high school.
Savannah Grounds (12) said, “I feel good about it, and I am excited to pursue an interest that I have been cultivating throughout my high school career.”
“I’m excited for it, but it’s a weird feeling moving on from your family and your chapter,” Selman said. “My family will visit me, but I’ll finally be on my own…everything is kind of on me now, now I can’t say ‘my mom made me do this.’ It’s my own thing. But it’s a bittersweet moment, growing up.”
This feeling of expanding horizons is not unique to seniors, however. Freshmen experience the same thing, going from the tight-knit communities of middle school to the seemingly endless halls and students of Plant.
Gracyn Bruce (9) said, “Middle school is a popularity contest; in high school, nobody really cares.” Often, the transition from middle to high school allows freshmen the extra freedom needed to discover who they are. For some students, high school is a chance to find a genuine community.
Freshmen and seniors alike can both relate to the excitement of one thing: school events. Most Plant students remember their first: the rushing crowd of a football game, the thrumming beats of Homecoming or the unique fun of attending a club meeting. These events define high school careers past the stress of classes. They make school more than just our grades or testing—they make it a community that everyone can take part in.
“The first event I went to was the ice cream social for the orchestra, and it was really fun because we got to hang out with a bunch of the kids there, and the ice cream was really good,” said Elizabeth Trehan (9).
The first events students attend give shape to their entire High School career. If those freshmen events are a beginning, senior year events most definitely provide an end. Students look forward to these traditions as they grow through the years, and senior year offers the chance to finally participate in what they have seen from afar for so long. These events include prom, senior skip days and water wars. While not an officially sanctioned school activity, many seniors expressed excitement about water wars.
Mark Zajac (12) said, “I feel like it’s going to be fun, I feel like I’m going to win. I actually know I’m going to win.” For these students, senior traditions like this allow them to see the culmination of the bonds they’ve made throughout high school as they form teams and work together.
While seniors get to experience fun traditions, freshmen are often bogged down with a new level of rigor in testing that they have never experienced before. For many, freshman year represents learning how to handle comprehension, multi-step problems and questions that require critical thinking.
“The tests I’ve had to take so far are more difficult than the ones in middle school. I haven’t taken the midterms or PSAT yet, but I heard they take a lot more studying to get a good score,” Kevin Boohoff (9) said. “In middle school, I didn’t have to study to get a good grade, but now I have to for at least 30 minutes.”
The difference in testing reveals the realization that simple study strategies used in middle school aren’t practical for high school testing. It forces freshmen to use new, different methods to maintain higher grades.
For freshman, this new rigor is a harsh dose of reality. On the other hand, seniors are preparing to enter into this reality. Balancing the demands of transitioning into the “real world” means seniors juggle the excitement of freedom and independence with the worry of taking care of themselves. The challenge of new adult responsibilities includes things such as managing money, completing loan applications and planning for life outside of school.
“It’s just kind of a weight,” Pasagian (12) said. “I think that you have a bunch of people throwing a bunch of different deadlines at you, and they all have different requirements, and that can be very stressful to keep track of it all. Ms. Moseley does all she can, but at the same time, it’s hundreds of kids in the senior class, and it definitely requires self-motivation to get them done. The rest is kind of on you.”
The overwhelming burden of emotional and academic hardship associated with the college application process can require a great deal of self-motivation and discipline to manage deadlines. Statistical studies by Cross River Therapy show that 45% of high school students admit to being stressed almost every day in school. The U.S. ranks first as the country with the most stressed students, with 67%.
With senior year comes a plethora of self-reflection. The person who stepped nervously into school on that very first day is certainly not the same person who walks the halls with confidence on their last days. As the class of 2026 sums up their years in High School on applications, transcripts, and resumes, it causes them to reflect on their growth throughout the years.
Often, the most valuable advice for freshmen comes from those who lived through it: seniors.